The only tea I ever saw in my house growing up was tea crystals flavored with saccharin. I hated it, but this is what mom offered in the summer. I am definaitely a first generation tea drinker. My parents who drank coffee morning, noon , and night still don't know where they went wrong with me!
I remember a few years ago, I was having dinner with my parents and distant relatives I had never met. They were a fascintaing couple...lots of world travel stories, etc. So, I as always went to my parents with some kind of tea, this time it was Otsuusan from O-Cha. The husband asked what tea I was drinking, I could see he was interested by the eye contact and how he looked at the very green brew in my cup. I proceeded to give him a brief education about the tea and its origin.
My father thinking I might just bore the guy to death (though I could see that he maintained genuine interest)...or thinking I might reveal a deep dark family secret (that I was a tea fanatic) abrubtly cut my story off after a minute or two...hmmm, this is my relationship with my father in a microcosm.
Today, ironically, he can not drink coffee, and drinks the same herbal Bigalow every single day.
Shincha Fukamushi, delicious and sweet.
) cuppa tea for the day. Enjoying a big mug of oolong #8 w/a touch of OBO. Really like it this way, especially for warm weather.
